Fire pump control systems are commonly used in large buildings to control the flow of water to sprinkler heads as part of a fire suppression system. Generally speaking, a fire pump control system operates a connected water pump system for directing high-pressure water to sprinkler heads situated throughout a building.
To do this, a typical pump control system is also connected and responsive to any number of fire sprinkler heads and sensors positioned within building areas to be protected. The control system activates the water pump upon detection of a low fire water pressure to supply water to the heads in the specific protected area. The control system is designed to control and monitor all aspects of the fire water pump system, including water pressure, flow rate, as well as the starting and stopping of the water pump.
Initially and periodically, the system setup and display information about the fire pump controller must be input (i.e., operation parameters) using an electrical input interface. However, these and other electrical components may be unreliable and prone to failure, which can lead to catastrophic consequences in the event of a fire. This is a substantial problem with prior art pump control systems.
Various fire pump control systems have been developed to supply water under pressure to a fire suppression system. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,879 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,544,235 which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,221,189, 5,729,698 and 7,762,786 are also incorporated by reference in their entirety. These systems have been generally effective for their intended purpose but do not overcome all of the limitations and deficiencies of prior systems. Accordingly, there is a continuing need in the industry for a more reliable fire pump control system.
Until the invention of the present application, these and other problems in the prior art went either unnoticed or unsolved by those skilled in the art. The present invention provides a fire control system which will operate more reliably without sacrificing features, designs, style or affordability.